She never wanted to return.He wants nothing more than for her to leave.But the fire between them is as strong as the past that haunts them.
Annie Freemont grew up on the road, immersed in the romance of rare things, cultivating an eye for artifacts and a spirit for bargaining. It's a freewheeling life she loves and plans to continue--until her dad is diagnosed with dementia. His illness forces them to return to Moonhill, their ancestral home on the coast of Maine--and to the family they left behind fifteen years ago, after Annie's mother died in a suspicious accident.
Once at Moonhill, Annie is shocked when her aunt separates her from her father. The next time Annie sees him, he's a bizarre, violent shadow of his former self. Confused, she turns to an unlikely ally for support--Chase, the dangerously seductive young groundskeeper. With his dark good looks and powerful presence, Chase has an air of mystery that Annie is irresistibly drawn to. But she also senses that behind his penetrating eyes are secrets she can't even begin to imagine. Secrets that hold the key to the past, to Annie's own longings--and to all of their futures. Now, to unlock them, she'll have to face her greatest fears and embrace her legacy…The Dark Heart Series Book 1

Annie has always enjoyed buying and selling antiques with her dad, until one fateful day he came down with a case of dementia. When their family finds out, the ones they have been avoiding for all her life, they find themselves at Moon hill. The same place where her mother died. As the story progresses, there is a tangled weave of deception and unearthly truths that bring Annie to dangerous depths.

In ” an Oyster Shell – A fantastic tale of epic proportions with amazing writing craft.

The Pearls – The quality of writing in this book was just phenomenal! It was smooth rhythmic prose. There were great descriptions. It felt like you were drawn into the book!

The Main Character was well-developed. I get a little squeamish when it comes to twenty-something characters, but this one was well-done.

The storyline was unexpected. There were so many twists and turns… sometimes it was hard to know up from down. It’s rare to see suspense as good as this was.

The Sand – There was a mish-mash of a few mythological ideas that made the story feel a little cluttered. I would of liked to have seen the author a little more focused in this area.

I am really torn on this book. I enjoyed it, but I am not sure if I will continue with the series or not. To be determined…

About Pat Esden

PAT ESDEN would love to say she spent her childhood in intellectual pursuits. The truth is she was fonder of exploring abandoned houses and old cemeteries. When not out on her own adventures, she can be found in her northern Vermont home writing stories about brave, smart women and the men who capture their hearts. An antique-dealing florist by trade, she’s also a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and the League of Vermont Writers. Her short stories have appeared in a number of publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, the Mythopoeic Society’s Mythic Circle literary magazine, and George H. Scither’s anthology Cat Tales.

I love it when you read a book and you don’t know what’s going to happen next. It sucks that it seemed a bit all over the place with the mythology though. Maybe it gets a little bit more focused in that area in the next book? Sorry to hear you didn’t fully enjoy this one as much as you’d hoped.Kristin recently posted…Eight long months but we crossed the finish line!